The Music Box
by bluedragon1836
Summary: Daniel is given a strange music box by an old woman. What story is it trying to tell him? This story is a bit weird so I can't explain it any better.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story I started a while ago and just recently finished. It's a little strange, just to warn you. Note: the song which you will come across in this story is "Davy Jones" from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. Well, that's the song I had in mind when writing this. The lyrics however are mine. I wrote them so I own them. Hope you enjoy. **

**The Music Box**

SG-1 stepped through the Stargate onto the lush green planet of P2A-978. The sky was blue, the grass green, and the ocean, what they could see of it, was a deep blue-gray.

"Nice view," Jack commented. The rest of his team nodded in agreement and then headed off towards a small village in the distance. The villagers were quite friendly and welcomed the visitors cordially. Then, as usual, the team split up to explore. Daniel found himself wandering along what appeared to be a market. He stopped at one stall to admire the work and looked up again to see an old woman.

"Hello," he said. "I'm Daniel Jackson."

"Mara," the woman replied, her voice strong despite her age.

"Pleased to meet you." He was thinking what to say next, but she beat him to it.

"You have loved someone," she said. "You have loved someone and she has been taken from you." It wasn't a question.

"I beg your pardon?" Daniel asked, confused.

For answer, the woman handed him something. "Take it. Learn our story." The archeologist looked at the object in the hand. It was shaped like a heart with engravings of the sea running through it. Judging by the chain attached to it, he assumed it was a necklace. He looked up to thank the old woman, but she was gone. Surprised, he glanced around, but there was no sign of her. Just then, his radio crackled to life.

"_Daniel, this is O'Neill."_

"I read you."

"_Meet us back at the gate. We're heading home."_

"Copy that." Daniel released his radio and looked again at the locket. Then, he placed it carefully in a pocket and headed back towards the Stargate.

Later that day, the archeologist sat in his office, studying the locket. Suddenly, he noticed a catch at one end and pushed it. The locket opened slowly and a light melody began to play. It was a music box, Daniel realized now. Then he paused, listening to the song it was playing. It was a beautiful song, but sad as well. It made him feel . . . breathless.

"Whatcha doin'?" said a voice behind him. Daniel jumped and glared at Jack who stood grinning in the doorway.

"Dang it, Jack, I hate it when you do that."

"Sorry," the colonel apologized and came to stand beside him. "That's interesting," he said, looking at the object in Daniel's palm. "What is it and where'd you get it?"

"It's a music box and I got back on that planet. An old woman gave it to me."

"Weird."

"Yeah, but that's not all." Jack waited. "Before she gave it to me she said that I had loved someone and that she had been taken from me."

"Sha're."

"Yeah. She also told me to 'learn our story'. Then she disappeared."

"Okay," said Jack. "That's really weird."

"Yeah." Daniel continued to stare at it. Without warning, words formed in his mind.

"_As the stream returns to the sea_

_so I'll return to you"._

"What'd you say?" Jack asked and Daniel realized that he had said them aloud.

"The words."

"What?"

"The words to this song, I know them."

"How's that possible?"

"I . . . I don't know." Daniel once again repeated the words, louder this time.

"_Mighty winds and storm tossed waves_

_have brought me far from you, my love,_

_but as the stream returns to the sea,_

_so I'll return to you."_

The two men were silent for several minutes. Then, reluctantly almost, Daniel closed the music box.

"Okay," Jack said finally. "That was really, really weird."

"Yeah." The archeologist stood up and moved across the room. He was about halfway there when the images hit. He gasped and stood staring as they flashed before his eyes. The cliff overlooking the ocean. A ship sailing out to sea. A woman watching with tears rolling down her cheeks. The song carried on the wind towards the horizon.

"Daniel? Daniel?" Jack was shaking him.

"Huh, what?" Daniel looked up at him, blue eyes wide. "What happened?"

"You stopped and were staring like you'd seen a ghost or something," Jack explained, trying to keep the fear and worry from his voice.

"I saw a ship."

"What?"

"I saw a ship sailing away. There was a woman watching. She was crying." Daniel's voice trailed off.

"Okay, that's it," Jack said. "I'm getting you to the infirmary." Daniel allowed his friend to steer him towards the elevator, his mind far away. "Learn our story," she had said. What had the woman meant?

**Do you like it so far? Please review. It is much appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you like.**

Janet ran every test she could think of on the archeologist, but found nothing wrong. Jack, of course, was still worried and made Daniel promise not to go anywhere without telling him. Being thus satisfied, he had escorted the young man towards his quarters, telling him to get some sleep.

"But – " Daniel protested.

"But nothing," Jack answered firmly. "You're going to bed."

Daniel sighed and shut the door with a few muttered words that sounded suspiciously like swear words in five or so different languages. Jack grinned and sauntered away.

To his credit, Daniel did try to get some sleep, but then the dream came. He was standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Looking around, he saw the woman a little ways off. A man stood with her. They were speaking softly to each other. The man leaned forward and kissed the woman. Then he set off down the road. He passed quite close to Daniel but didn't seem to see him at all. The archeologist, however, saw him clearly, including the small silver, heart-shaped locket hanging around his neck.

Daniel woke with a start. For a moment, he thought he could still smell the sea, but then it too faded away. He lay back against the pillows and stared up at the dark ceiling, but even though he was tired, he didn't go back to sleep. Morning found him in his office, working on a translation, and trying unsuccessfully to forget his dream and the silver music box. Jack sauntered in.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked.

"Translating."

"Ah." Silence for a moment. "Sleep well?"

"Not really. I had a strange dream and couldn't go back to sleep after that."

"Oh. I had a weird dream too. It involved Han Solo playing golf with Homer Simpson." Daniel stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Uh-huh." Jack sounded unconvinced. "Well, I told you mine. What was yours?"

Daniel sighed. "I saw a man and a woman. They were in love with each other. And the man was wearing this locket." He picked up the silver heart and stared at it. Jack looked at his friend, concerned. Something strange was going on, he just didn't know what.

For the next couple of hours, Daniel could think of nothing but the music box. It's hauntingly beautiful melody ran through his mind over and over again, bringing with it those strange images. They were always the same. A man and a woman speaking softly. The man walking away. A ship sailing away with the woman watching, her eyes full of tears.

Then, however, another image came. The woman was sitting on the cliff, staring out towards the ocean. A silver locket was clutched in her hand, it's music playing softly.

Daniel started and looked at the music box in his hand. He opened it and listened to the song, the lyrics again coming unbidden to his mind.

"_Mighty winds and storm tossed waves_

_have brought me far from you, my love,_

_but as the stream returns to the sea,_

_so I'll return to you."_

And then he knew. He knew what had happened to the woman – Mara, he supposed – and the man. Quickly, he ran to find Jack.

The colonel in question was wandering up and down the halls, worrying about Daniel. He turned as the archeologist ran up.

"JackIneedtogobacktotheplanetit'simportant!" he said in a rush that no one could have possibly understood.

"Whoa, Danny-boy," Jack protested. "Slow down."

Daniel took a deep breath. "I need to go back to the planet. It's important."

"Why?"

"I found out what the music box was telling me."

Jack nodded slowly. "If we go back there, does that mean you'll be back to normal?" he asked.

"I don't know," Daniel answered, shrugging.

Jack nodded again. "Let's go see Hammond."

**Review please. It lets me know I'm at least being read. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I know the last part's short, but hey, can I help it? Well, I suppose I could, but I like it the way it is and I'm the author so there huh!**

After a long – and rather interesting – conversation with General Hammond, SG-1 was given the green light. Several minutes later, the team stood on the ramp in the Gateroom as Jack finished explaining the situation. To their credit, Sam and Teal'c merely nodded in understanding and said not a word. The Stargate activated with a whoosh of blue light and SG-1 stepped through onto the planet. They all received much the same impression that they got the first time. Blue sky, green foliage, and gray-blue ocean. Daniel immediately set off towards the small hut he could see on the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. The rest of his team exchanged glances and followed him. Upon reaching the house, the archeologist knocked on the door. Mara opened it and stood looking at him.

"I know your story," he told her. As the old woman seemed to be waiting for more, he continued. "You were in love with a young sailor. Both of you had a locket to remind you of each others love. One day, he left in his ship and never came back again. My guess is that his ship went down."

Mara nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I loved him. And he loved me. We still love each other. One day, we'll be together again." Daniel held out the locket, but the old woman pushed his hand back. "Keep it," she said. "Let it remind you that love will carry on no matter what. Let it give you hope for the future."

"Thank you." Mara nodded and closed the door. Daniel turned back to his teammates, locket held gently in his hand.

"You finished?" Jack asked. The archeologist nodded. Together, the four friends headed back to the Gate and dialed Earth. The other three stepped through, but Daniel paused a moment and looked back towards the ocean. For a brief moment, he saw again the ship sailing away towards the horizon before it faded gently away. Daniel smiled, turned, and stepped through the Stargate, his mind hearing again the sweet echo of a lullaby eternally playing beneath the waves.

"_As the stream returns to the sea_

_So I'll return to you."_

**The End**

**You like? Yes? No? Let me know by reviewing. You will be forever appreciated if you do. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Blatant add for myself: If you liked this story, try visiting my homepage for more stories. Hey, someone has to do marketing! See ya. **


End file.
